Smith hopes to find safety in Philly

The Giants went into free agency seemingly resigned to the fact Kenny Phillips was headed for a departure.

Art Stapleton

The Giants went into free agency seemingly resigned to the fact Kenny Phillips was headed for a departure. Where their former first-round pick landed seemed to upset the fan base a bit Thursday.

Phillips is staying in the NFC East and will be playing a dozen or so exits down the turnpike after the Eagles announced they have signed the safety to a one-year contract.

The former University of Miami standout received a "prove it" deal from the Eagles as he looks to reestablish his value at the position following an injury-plagued final season with the Giants.

Phillips, 26, played in seven games, starting six, but was never the same after he sprained the MCL in his right knee Sept. 30. He missed six consecutive games, returned for two, missed the next three and played in the season-ending win over the Eagles. Now he's going to see his old team twice in 2013.

While the Giants ended up saying goodbye to a familiar face Thursday, they officially welcomed back a former first-round pick in cornerback Aaron Ross as well as a newcomer in former Steelers safety Ryan Mundy.

Mundy is expected to compete for playing time behind projected starters Antrel Rolle and Stevie Brown.

"It's home," said Ross, who was released by the Jaguars. "I was here for five years, this is where my career started; two Super Bowl rings. All my brothers are here, all the coaches are here. It just felt like home. I was ready to come back home."

Former Bengals first-round pick Keith Rivers has signed a one-year deal to return to the Giants after spending last season here following a trade from Cincinnati.

Rivers' presence should add depth to the linebacker position, considering starters Chase Blackburn (unrestricted free agency) and Michael Boley (released last month) might not be back. He played in 11 games for the Giants last season, fighting through nagging hamstring issues to start in six of them. His speed was an asset on the outside.

Rivers, 26, was acquired by the Giants last winter for a fifth-round pick.

A source told The Record that offensive lineman David Diehl and the team had reached an agreement Thursday on the restructuring of the last year of his contract, likely resulting in a pay cut. Another source indicated the two sides still were discussing options and nothing was finalized as of yet, however.